Local public health officials would support Ontario vaccine certificates

Public health officials in Waterloo Region and the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph area are lending their voices to support a call for Ontario to implement a COVID-19 vaccine certificate program.

Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, head of the Local Association of Public Health Agencies, said a provincial system would help control access to certain activities and settings based on vaccination status.

If that doesn't happen, he said the group of local public health units has discussed the possibility of using regional vaccine certificates similar to those being implemented in other provinces. 

“We had a conversation, and it was an exploratory conversation because we're still hoping that there will be a provincial approach,” Roumeliotis said Thursday.

However, Roumeliotis acknowledged the measure would be less effective if it was on a regional level instead of the provincial level.

When asked about the topic, Region of Waterloo Public Health stated they're in support of a “consistent and coordinated approach to proof of vaccination.”

“We are looking to the province to implement a standardized proof of vaccination program,” public health said in an email to 570 NEWS.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health said they are exploring interim possibilities in the meantime.

“Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health supports the use of tools and vaccine policies which can help to drive vaccination rates and keep our local businesses open and safe,” Anna Vanderlaan, acting communications manager at Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health told GuelphToday.

“We support a provincial approach to avoid regional differences, however in the interim we are exploring how to utilize COVax vaccine receipts locally.”

WDGPH said it strongly supports a provincial vaccine passport to avoid regional differences.

Premier Doug Ford has rejected the idea of a domestic “vaccine passport,” saying he doesn't want a “split society.” 

The province's COVID-19 science advisers have said that vaccine certificates would allow high-risk settings to reopen sooner with greater capacity and help plan to reintroduce public health measures as cases rise. 

With files from The Canadian Press and GuelphToday